Haunting Photos of Historical Detroit Merged with the Present-Day City

By Alison Nastasi

Aug. 16, 2015

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Headlines about Detroit’s economic crisis in recent decades are dizzying. The general population associates Detroit with a city in decline, where urban decay, municipal bankruptcy, and unemployment dominate the region. But there’s also a redevelopment happening that aims to restore Detroit to its former glory, which has inspired hope for residents and has attracted investors from across the country.

After visiting the Michigan city, artist Flora Borsi, whose work we’ve shared with you previously, was saddened by the many abandoned buildings and factories she saw and found herself imagining how the city used to look. She found photos of Detroit from the previous century and merged them with her own photographs from her trip — which we spotted on Fubiz. The transition is subtle and is meant to offer hope for a major revitalization. In some instances, the figures appear as ghosts haunting graffiti-laden spaces. Take a closer look in our gallery.